Method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction includes the steps of preparing a slab-shaped capillary structure, forming narrow and long recessed portions with an interval apart from each other on a surface of the slab-shaped capillary structure by an extrusion method, and arranging the recessed portion along the lengthwise direction of the slab-shaped capillary structure, and installing the slab-shaped capillary structure in a hollow plate-like housing, such that a vapor channel is formed between each recessed portion of the slab-shaped capillary structure and an inner wall of the plate-like housing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the manufacturing process of thin conductive components, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structures such as vapor chambers and thin heat pipes for thermal conduction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Since most of the present 3C electronic products come with a light, thin, short and compact design, therefore a slim design of a heat pipe for the heat dissipation or thermal conduction inside the electronic products is required, and thus a ultra thin heat pipe (with a thickness below 1.5 mm) is introduced.

Since the ultra thin heat pipe requires a thin thickness, therefore a capillary structure in the heat pipe also requires a thin thickness, or else a vapor channel with sufficient space cannot be formed in the heat pipe. However, a too-thin capillary structure cannot be filled into the gap between a mandrel and a heat pipe wall, since the gap is relatively smaller. When a metal powder is filled, a relatively larger resistance is produced, so that the manufacture cannot be performed. Therefore, the powder capillary structure can be formed only in some positions of the conventional ultra thin heat pipe and the structure is not thin, so that the powder capillary structure cannot be filled up easily in the cross-section of the conventional ultra thin heat pipe, and the capillary structure fails to provide good evaporating and condensing surfaces and sectional transmission surface while having a sufficient vapor channel, and the weak internal support structure may cause a depression of the heat pipe easily and result in a large thermal contact resistance, and thus failing to improve the thermal conduction efficiency.

In view of the aforementioned shortcomings, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive researches and experiments to provide a feasible design to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction, and the thin slab-shaped capillary structure comprises a plurality of recessed portions extruded thereon and disposed in a hollow plate-like housing to form a vapor channel in order to have sufficient spaces for heat exchange by evaporation and condensation as well as the maximum capillary surface area and sectional transmission surface, and an internal support structure with better strength to prevent the heat pipe from being depressed or reducing the thermal contact resistance, so that the thermal conduction effect still can be achieved by the ultra thin heat pipe.

To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction, and the method comprises the following steps:

(a) Prepare a slab-shaped capillary structure.

(b) Form a plurality of narrow and long recessed portions disposed with an interval apart from one another and formed on a surface of the slab-shaped capillary structure by an extrusion method, wherein the recessed portions are extended along the lengthwise direction of the slab-shaped capillary structure.

(c) Install the slab-shaped capillary structure as described in the step (b) in a hollow plate-like housing, so that a vapor channel is formed between each recessed portion of the slab-shaped capillary structure and an inner wall of the plate-like housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method of manufacturing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the present invention before extrusion is applied;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the present invention after extrusion is applied;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an extruded capillary structure of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a capillary structure installed in a plate-like housing of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a capillary structure installed in a plate-like housing of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a capillary structure installed in a plate-like housing of another mode of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a capillary structure in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a capillary structure in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a capillary structure in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a capillary structure in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of a capillary structure in accordance with a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The technical contents of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of preferred embodiments accompanied with the illustration of related drawings as follows. It is noteworthy that the drawings are provided for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, but not intended for limiting the scope of the invention.

With reference to FIG. 1 for a flow chart of a method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction, the method comprises the following steps:

S1: (Refer to FIG. 2 as well as FIG. 1 for this step) Prepare a slab-shaped capillary structure 1, wherein the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 is one formed by a knitted fabric, a fiber, a metal powder sintering or any combination of the above, so as to form a thin slab-shaped member.

S2: (Refer to FIGS. 2 and 3 as well as FIG. 1): Form a plurality of narrow and long recessed portions 100 with an interval apart from one another on a surface 10 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 by an extrusion method, wherein the intervals can be equidistant or not equidistant, and the recessed portions 100 are extended and arranged along the lengthwise direction of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 as shown in FIG. 4. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mold 3 is used for extruding the surface 10 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 in the extrusion method, and the other surface of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 is set on a workbench 31, and the extrusion by the mold 3 forms each recessed portion 100 on the surface 10 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1, wherein the mold 3 has an extruded surface 30 opposite to the surface 10 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1, and the extruded surface 30 has a plurality of narrow and long protrusions 300 disposed with an interval apart from one another, and each protrusion 300 is separated by a flat portion 301, such that the mold 3 can form a plurality of recessed portions 100 with an interval apart from each other on the extruded surface 30 opposite to a surface 10 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1. In addition, the extruded slab-shaped capillary structure 1 has a thickness below 0.1 mm, and each recessed portion 100 is in an arc shape.

S3 (Refer to FIG. 5 together with FIG. 1): Finally, install the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 of the step S2 into a hollow plate-like housing 2, so that a vapor channel 12 can be formed between of each recessed portion 100 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 and an inner wall of the plate-like housing 2 as shown in FIG. 6. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plate-like housing 2 is formed by engaging a lower casing 20 and a upper casing 21 vertically, such that the plate-like housing 2 is hollow and capable of receiving the slab-shaped capillary structure 1, and the lower casing 20 has an inner wall 200, and the upper casing 21 also has an inner wall 210, and the other surface 11 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 is attached flatly onto the inner wall 200 of the lower casing 20, and the surface 10 abuts the inner wall 210 of the upper casing 21, so that the vapor channel 12 is formed between each recessed portion 100 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 and the inner wall 210 of the upper casing 21 to provide sufficient space for heat exchange and thermal conduction. It is noteworthy that the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 of the step S1 together with the lower casing 20 of the plate-like housing 2 are set on a workbench 31, and then the lower casing 20 and the upper casing 21 are combined to complete assembling the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 of Step 3 and the plate-like housing 2 after the step S2 is completed.

With reference to FIG. 7 for another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plate-like housing 2 can also be in a circular hollow tubular shape formed by pressing and provided for receiving the slab-shaped capillary structure 1. In FIGS. 8 to 10, each recessed portion 100 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1 can be in a V-shape, a rectangular shape, or a trapezium shape, and its cross-sectional shape can be increased or decreased gradually along the lengthwise direction of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1.

In FIG. 11, a penetrating hole 101 is punched and formed on each recessed portion 100 of slab-shaped capillary structure 1, or a partial hollow area 102 is punched and formed on the slab-shaped capillary structure 1, and the hollow area 102 acts as a low flow resistance area for expanding the vapor channel 12 formed in the plate-like housing 2 of the slab-shaped capillary structure 1, so that the occupied area can be determined according to actual needs. Each penetrating hole 101 is conducive to the thermal conduction effect. In FIG. 12, a plurality of recesses 103 can be extruded between each of the recessed portions 100 to provide a mutual transmission between adjacent vapor channels 12.

In summation of the description above, the present invention achieves the expected objectives and overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art, and the invention complies with patent application requirements, and is thud duly filed for patent application.

While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction, comprising: (a) preparing a slab-shaped capillary structure; (b) forming a plurality of narrow and long recessed portions disposed with an interval apart from one another on a surface of the slab-shaped capillary structure by an extrusion method, and the recessed portions being arranged and extended along a lengthwise direction of the slab-shaped capillary structure; (c) installing the slab-shaped capillary structure of the step (b) into a hollow plate-like housing, such that a vapor channel is formed between each recessed portion of the slab-shaped capillary structure and an inner wall of the plate-like housing.
 2. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 1, wherein the slab-shaped capillary structure of the step (a) is formed by a knitted fabric, a fiber, a metal powder sintering, or a combination thereof.
 3. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 1, wherein the extrusion method of the step (b) extrudes the surface of the slab-shaped capillary structure by a mold.
 4. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 3, wherein the mold has an extruded surface opposite to the surface of the slab-shaped capillary structure, and the extruded surface has a plurality of narrow and long protrusions arranged with an interval apart from one another, and a flat portion is provided for separating each of the protrusions.
 5. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 4, wherein each recessed portion of the slab-shaped capillary structure is extruded into a V-shape, an arc shape, a rectangular shape or a trapezium shape.
 6. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 5, wherein the slab-shaped capillary structure has a partial hollow area punched and formed thereon.
 7. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 5, wherein each recessed portion of the slab-shaped capillary structure has a penetrating hole punched and formed thereon.
 8. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 5, further comprising a plurality of recesses extruded between the recessed portions of the slab-shaped capillary structure.
 9. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like housing of the step (c) is formed by engaging a lower casing and an upper casing with each other vertically.
 10. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 9, wherein the lower casing of the plate-like housing is extruded together with the slab-shaped capillary structure in the step (b).
 11. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like housing of the step (c) is formed by pressing a circular hollow tubular member.
 12. The method of manufacturing ultra thin slab-shaped capillary structure for thermal conduction according to claim 1, wherein the extruded slab-shaped capillary structure of the step (c) has a thickness below 0.1 mm. 